Injury Updates Week 2: Jeremy Maclin, Ryan Mathews, Pierre Garcon

Should you start or sit them?

There are a few key fantasy contributors that have had a number of question marks surrounding their playing status leading up to Week 2 of the 2012 NFL season. Here’s a little bit about these three and why you should look elsewhere today.

Jeremy Maclin, WR, Philadelphia

Two good things happened in the last few days for the Eagles top PPR receiver: he practiced on Friday — albeit on a limited basis — and the team did not sign another receiver from the practice squad to address the issues with Maclin (hip) and fellow receiver DeSean Jackson (hamstring).

So Maclin is likely to play, which is the good news.

The bad news is that Maclin will still likely draw either draw Lardarius Webb or Jimmy Smith in coverage.

According to Pro Football Focus. Webb was in on 537 snaps a season ago, targeted 90 times and allowed 52 catches for 615 yards with no scores and five picks. Smith played 173 snaps as a rookie, was targeted 33 times, allowed 16 catches for 217 yards with three TDs and two picks.

If you take anything away from last week’s game against Cleveland rookie QB Brandon Weeden, Webb was in on 37 snaps, had five passes thrown his way, allowed three catches for 23 yards; Smith played 28 snaps, saw one target which he allowed a 17-yard completion on.

Weeden or Vick, it’s a pretty bad matchup all around for the Eagles’ passing game.

Ryan Mathews, RB, San Diego

Will he play? Won’t he play? Why would he play?

If you saw the Titans’ defense against the run last week, apparently anyone could rush for 100 yards. Have you seen the Titans record on the West Coast since they moved from Houston? It is not good, as in 4-11 not good since 1997.

I would expect the Chargers to be in control of this game and Mathews, while he might return from his clavicle injury, should not have to be counted on for a full workload.

This is not a situation like Adrian Peterson or Maurice Jones-Drew from a week ago. Both of their squads, actually facing off against each other, were in contention for a win and those backs were called upon for the entire 60 minutes to try and help attain that win.

This should not be the case for Mathews and the Chargers, who are already plus-one in the win column, sans their star running back.

Pierre Garcon, WR, Washington

A right foot injury is likely to keep the Redskins’ No. 1 receiver out of the contest at St. Louis today. It would be quite a blow to QB Robert Griffin III’s success against the Rams, but could mean bigger things for fellow rookie Alfred Morris in regards to running the ball.

Garcon, in just eight plays, was a stud last week thanks to a screen pass he turned into an 88-yard touchdown; it’s always nice to get 15.8 points in a PPR on one play. He finished with four catches for 101 yards and the score — on eight plays. However, Garcon was limited in practice all week and even if he were to miraculously suit up, with little prep it’s hard to advise on placing him in your lineup.

If you want to have a back up option, go get Aldrick Robinson off the waiver wire. The SMU product — plug for my dad’s alma mater there — caught four balls for 52 yards, including 30 yards of after-the-catch production, and a score in Week 1.

The two benefactors if Garcon were to sit have to be Morris and Robinson versus the Rams today.

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